STATEN ISLAND, NY- Make it two for two.

The Staten Island Yankees made it two straight over the Oneonta Tigers by posting a 4-2 victory before 2,343 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Tuesday night. The win was their fourth in five, putting them a season high six games over .500 (23-17) and into a tie with Lowell for the wildcard.

It also vaulted them half a game ahead of Oneonta (23-18) in what should be an exciting race for the final playoff berth in the Penn League.

“A good win for us. I think that kind of puts us back in the chase a little bit,” said second baseman Damon Sublett after continuing to swing a hot bat with an RBI double in the seventh which scored Taylor Holiday for a key insurance run. “Hopefully we get on a roll from that from playing hard. Hopefully we’ll keep winning.”

The Baby Bombers got a solid pitching effort from the tandem of starter Chris Farley and middle reliever Craig Heyer, who each split the first eight innings allowing just one unearned run before handing the baton over to Jonathan Ortiz. After permitting a 400-plus foot leadoff home run to Oneonta’s Chris Carlson to dead center off the black, the closer settled down to retire the final three batters for his sixth save.

Carlson was also involved in the Tigers’ only other run which got them the lead in the fourth. The first baseman ledoff the frame with a single before advancing to second with one out on a passed ball. He then came around to score on Jorge Patino’s RBI single to right to give his ballclub their only lead of the night.

Farley finished his final inning strong by getting the last two swinging. His teammates picked him up in the bottom half to tie it thanks to a clutch two out runscoring single from right fielder Matt Morris which scored backstop Jose Gil after he started things off with a single of his own before D.J. Hollingsworth sacrificed him over.

“[Morris] hadn’t played last couple of games. And for him to come through like that in a big situation, that’s a big deal. It’s good to get contributions throughout the lineup,” Sublett pointed out.

Staten Island threatened to go ahead when centerfielder Justin Snyder’s infield hit put runners on the corners. However, Holiday fanned to end it.

The game wouldn’t stay knotted for long though as third baseman Braedyn Pruitt connected for a two-run dinger to right off losing Oneonta starter Guillermo Moscoso (4-1) in the fifth to put the Bombers ahead for good.

“He’s just been hitting all year. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to make a name for himself,” added Sublett whose RBI double two innings later made it eight of his last nine games with a hit.

“I’m just trying to be consistent and put some better swings on some balls and good things happen.”

Notes: Despite banging out 10 hits, Staten Island stranded 16 runners while their opponents weren’t much better leaving 12 on base. … With another multi-hit game, Pruitt is now hitting .458 (27-for-59) this summer. The corner infielder hit in eight of his last nine, finishing the month of July a sizzling 15-for-33 (.455). Since returning from the DL, he’s hit in eight of 10 and only was hitless once in nine starts. … Snyder continued his hot hitting with a three hit night to lift his average to .381 (51-for-134) which places him second just four points behind Penn League leading hitter Mahoning Valley’s Todd Martin. … Heyer worked four scoreless in relief to pickup his second win. … Bombers go for the sweep tonight before Lowell comes in for three starting tomorrow.

STATEN ISLAND, NY- A two-run eighth inning rally was enough to get their six-game homestand started on the right foot.

Jose Gil’s two out RBI single to right center scored Braedyn Pruitt for the winning run in a 3-2 comeback victory over Oneonta before 2,749 on an overcast night at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Monday night.

The win was Staten Island’s third in four and improved the club to 22-17, allowing them to remain five behind first place Brooklyn. More importantly, they gained a game on Oneonta in the wildcard race to pull within half a game of the Tigers and a game behind Vermont and Lowell who are tied for first in the Stedler Division.

“That was huge. That’s a big game. We needed that. These guys are one game ahead of us for the wildcard. So it’s a good win,” centerfielder Taylor Holiday pointed out after leading off the eighth with a bunt single down the third base line before coming around to score the tying run on a one out Pruitt RBI single to right.

“I looked horrible on the pitch earlier in that at bat. He gave me a curveball. Just stayed with it. Luckily, I managed to get one hand on it and get it out there,” Pruitt said after digging out of an 0-2 hole to deliver the tying hit off losing Oneonta reliever Jacob Ramos (1-1).

As it turned out, the first baseman’s only hit of the night proved to be a big one. Ramos was replaced by Erik Crichton. The reliever just got David Williams on a comebacker which he knocked down before rifling a strike to first which put Pruitt in scoring position setting the stage for Gil. The catcher went with a pitch to right serving it to the opposite field to plate Pruitt for the winning run.

The two run rally helped pickup comebacking reliever Jason Stephens and closer Jonathan Ortiz after they gave up two runs in the top half of the frame on a hit batsman (Jorge Patino) and a four pitch walk to Kody Kaiser.

“Both of those guys have been doing great for us. They’re coming in and really really closing the door,” added Pruitt.

For much of the game, pitching dominated the night. Bomber starter Ryan Pope turned in his best outing in his third start by working the first four scoreless on just one hit while walking two and striking out six.

The 22 year-old Savannah Georgia native was staked to a one-run lead thanks to a D.J. Hollingsworth fly ball bloop which just dropped in front of Oneonta centerfielder Mike Sullivan to score Williams for the game’s first run.

Jason Kiley and Stephens tossed three consecutive scoreless innings in relief of Pope before Oneonta rallied for two to go ahead in the eighth with two outs. Fortunately, the S.I. bats awakened in time to pull out the victory.

After walking in the lead run, Ortiz settled down to strike out three (all swinging) of the last four he faced including Cory Middleton to end it, picking up his first win in the process.

Notes: Former Baby Bomber shortstop Luis Nunez was promoted to Single-A Charleston Monday night to take the place of one-time S.I. Yankee Eduardo Nunez who got moved up to Tampa. Utility man Justin Snyder played short in his place and finished 1-for-4. … With a hit in three plate appearances, second baseman Damon Sublett has hit in eight of his last nine games. … Despite a walk and run scored, Williams had an eight-game hitting streak snapped. … Even though it was a lowscoring game, it still took three hours and 13 minutes to complete. … SP Chris Farley takes the hill in the second game of the series later tonight with first pitch scheduled for 7:10.

A comeback allowed the Staten Island Yankees to post their second straight win over Tri-City last night in upstate New York. The Baby Bombers used a two-run fifth and got the deciding run in the seventh to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Valley Cats Saturday night.

They’ll aim for a sweep later today with first pitch just after 5 P.M. The victory allowed the Bombers (21-16) to keep pace with first place Brooklyn, remaining five games behind.

Trailing by two runs in the fifth, Mike Gillespie’s ballclub scored twice in the frame to square the game at two. Consecutive one out doubles off the bats of Brian Chavez and Justin Snyder sliced the deficit in half and knocked out Tri-City starter Bryan Hallberg.

The S.I. Yanks greeted reliever Brian Esperson rudely. Taylor Holiday beat out a grounder to third for an infield hit to put runners on the corners. Damon Sublett followed with a sharp single to center which scored Snyder to tie it. After Braedyn Pruitt popped out, they nearly went ahead but a streaking Holiday from third couldn’t beat Valley Cat catcher Sal Iacono to home plate and was tagged out to end the inning.

After Staten Island reliever John Axford worked a 1-2-3 sixth, his teammates got him a run to put him in line for the win.

With Snyder on second after a one out double, he was driven in two batters later thanks to a clutch Sublett RBI single to right for his second run knocked in on the night. The second baseman finished with three hits.
It would prove to be enough as Axford tossed two more scoreless innings before giving way to closer Jonathan Ortiz, who struckout the side in the ninth to notch his fifth save.

Axford and Ortiz combined to K the final six Valley Cats, retiring the last eight in order to give Staten Island it’s first two-game win streak since mid-July.

Notes: SP Ryan Zink was ineffective in two innings giving up an earned run while walking four before Craig Heyer worked the next three allowing just one more run. … Axford was impressive in picking up his first win allowing just a hit in three innings while whiffing three. … Tri-City reliever Carlos Ladeuth took the loss to fall to 0-3. … Utility man Snyder continued his brilliant season with three more hits in five at bats including two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. He’s now batting .369 and has played four different positions including shortstop last night. Snyder has also been used at second, third and center.

Mother nature helped the Staten Island Yankees get back on track. In a rain shortened game, the Baby Bombers (20-16) shutout the Valley Cats 2-0 in six abbreviated innings to start their three-game series upstate on the right foot.

The win allowed them to pickup a game on the McNamara Division leading Cyclones, who fell in 10 innings but still lead the S.I. Yanks by five games.

The Baby Bombers got on the board in the opening frame thanks to a two out RBI single off the bat of right fielder David Williams which plated Taylor Holiday.

From there, they got a strong outing from starter Zach McAllister as the 19 year-old righty went on to toss five scoreless allowing five hits while walking two and striking out six in improving to 3-2 on the season.

Staten Island pushed across an insurance run on a sixth inning Braedyn Pruitt sacrifice fly which scored leadoff man Justin Snyder who singled to start it.

Nick Chigges came on to toss a 1-2-3 sixth, getting the final batter Catlin Everett to groundout to short for his first save.

Notes: Snyder and Holiday paved the way with multi-hit nights with the top two hitters in the Staten Island lineup combining to go 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. … Losing Tri-City starter Jeff Icenogle went all six and was credited with a complete game despite falling to 1-3. In defeat, he gave up two runs (1 ER) on six hits while fanning five. … The first six innings took an hour and 38 minutes to play before a 68-minute delay. … Bombers aim for their second straight and will attempt to avoid alternating wins and losses for the 10th consecutive game. They haven’t won two in a row since July16-17.

Karstens tosses six scoreless in Triple-A rehab start: Rehabbing Yankee pitcher Jeff Karstens took another step forward to making a return to the Bronx with a solid start in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Friday night. He went the first six innings against Louisville without allowing a run while giving up only two hits. Karstens did walk four and strikeout four, getting 51 of his 90 pitches over for strikes. The 24 year-old righty could be back next week in place of recently demoted SP Kei Igawa. In the mean time, the Yanks recalled infielder Chris Basak from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the roster.

-Is there a worse free agent pickup than Kei Igawa? The Japanese import is just awful. Listening to the YES broadcast make excuses for him is sad. He’s just not good. He can get ahead on any hitter but almost never puts them away. Forget the K/IP ratio which is highest on the Yanks. If this guy puts any runners on base, it usually turns into a circus.

Look no further than last night’s 7-0 loss at Kansas City. Igawa is brutal from the stretch. So if he’s got two out in the inning, why pitch from it if it affects his pitches which tend to go up and get crushed? That’s something maybe Yankee brass would have to explain. Sort of like the $46 million GM Brian Cashman gave this guy for two wins, a 6.79 ERA and 15 home runs allowed in 12 games (11 starts). As it turns out, even Hideki Irabu would’ve been a better option.

-Somehow, you just knew Michael Strahan would pull another selfish stunt like not reporting to Giants camp because he’s “considering retirement.” Sure. It’s all about the $$$. He and Tiki Barber have a lot in common. Both great Giants but the most selfserving stars you could have. As productive as they’ve been on the field, both have been nothing but headaches for Big Blue. If I were GM Jerry Reese, I’d tell Strahan to go take a hike. Enough’s enough.

-If you’re a Mets fan and worried about the fact your team hasn’t pulled away from the Braves and Phillies, the past few days are a reminder why you shouldn’t be overly concerned. The Braves split back-to-back four-game series against the struggling Cardinals and the hapless Giants.

Meanwhile, the Phillies who looked on their way to a sweep of the Nationals and a fifth consecutive win brought in the washed up Jose Mesa and watched him serve up a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth to lose a game they led 5-1 7-6. Oh btw, they also lost their best player in second baseman Chase Utley to a broken hand. He was hitting .336 with 17 home runs and 82 RBIs. We’re talking about the frontrunner for the NL MVP here. And it just goes to sum up Philadelphia’s lousy luck. No wonder they’re the only sports franchise that’s lost over 10,000 games.

You look at both the Mets’ closest rivals and see holes along with inconsistency. The Braves have Bob Wickman closing games and he’s been about as automatic as Armando Benitez was in Queens. Atlanta’s pen hasn’t been the same since Mike Gonzalez was lost for the season. Philly’s pen is even worse. When push comes to shove, will either club make the necessary move(s) to upgrade in four days at the deadline? You know Omar Minaya will do something. And he’s got more to work with. That’s why you got to like the Amazin’s chances to repeat in the NL East.

-Now that Moises Alou is back, is he going to put on his cape? Just wondering.

-If David Beckham can make more sports fans care about soccer, then it’s worth it for the L.A. Galaxy and soccer in the United States. But is there any way ESPN could stop overdoing things when he’s about to take the field? That’s asking a heck of a lot from a network that takes it so self so seriously that they’re airing these preposterous Who’s Now contests. Better hurry and vote! You wouldn’t want to miss who wins in this Bracket Challenge!
-What happened to Mike Coolbaugh could’ve happened to many players or coaches who play ball. It’s the risk they take when they’re out on the field. It’s an awful way to go. You can’t help but feel sorry for his family who won’t ever get to see him again.

-The same could also be said for Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser who passed away from a heart attack at the age of 56 yesterday while jogging. He was a very respected coach who ran a solid ACC program. Now he’s gone.

Both tragedies make you realize how unfair life can sometimes be. God bless their families.

The Staten Island Yankees dropped the rubber game at Oneonta 5-3 Thursday night to fall to 19-16 and drop five and a half behind first place Brooklyn (rainout).

Tied at three, the Tigers plated the go-ahead runs in the seventh off losing Baby Bomber reliever Jason Kiley (2-2). In his third inning of work, the righthander ran into trouble when he put the first two runners on via a Justin Henry leadoff double and a walk to Kody Kaiser.

After Ron Bourquin successfully sacrificed them over to second and third, Casper Wells drove home the leading run on a sac fly. Jorge Patino then came up and delivered a two out RBI double which plated Kaiser for some insurance.

The Bombers would get the tying run to the plate in the ninth thanks to a leadoff single by Isaiah Howes. However, he was stranded as Oneonta closer Noah Krohl buckled down for his seventh save by getting Justin Snyder and Taylor Holiday swinging before recording the final out when Damon Sublett flied out to center.

The night started out well enough as Staten Island pushed across a run in each of the first couple of frames.

In the first, first baseman Braedyn Pruitt continued to swing a hot bat by driving in the game’s first run with a runscoring single to right which scored Snyder. A one out Jose Gil RBI double to right in the second allowed shortstop Luis Nunez to come around all the way from first for a two-run lead.
But starter Chris Farley couldn’t deal with prosperity in the bottom half when he allowed the Tigers to rally for three runs. Before he even recorded an out, his team was behind. Casper Wells ledoff the inning with a home run to left which cut the margin in half. A batter after Michael Sullivan singled, Chris Carlson brought him home with an RBI double to left. After a wild pitch allowed Carlson to advance to third, he came home when Cory Middleton delivered the fourth straight hit of the inning- a triple.

Farley was able to escape further trouble by getting Devin Thomas to fly to short center and then got what he needed when Kyle Peter grounded into a 6-2 fielder’s choice as Nunez tossed out Middleton at home. After beaning Henry, he got Kaiser looking to finally end it.
Staten Island drew even in the fourth on a Snyder RBI groundout to second which allowed Gil to score after he ledoff the frame with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball.

The Bombers threatened in the next inning to reclaim the lead when Sublett and Pruitt ledoff with back-to-back singles. However, Oneonta starter Guillermo Moscoso got David Williams to fly out and then got an odd inning ending 1-6-5-2 double play in which they nailed Sublett at the plate.

It was the closest they came to retaking the lead and summed up a frustrating night which saw them leave 24 runners on base. In fact, only Pruitt avoided stranding a runner in the lineup.

Staten Island finished with two more hits (11) than their opponents (9) but ultimately fell on the scoreboard.

Notes: In a losing effort, Gil finished with a game high three hits on all doubles while knocking in a run. … Oneonta pitcher Jose Fragoso picked up the win in relief tossing two scoreless while fanning a couple to improve to 2-2. … With two more hits, Pruitt is batting an even .500 (21-for-42) for the season with nine RBI’s. He was 6-for-13 in the series and is 9 for his last 16. … Baby Bombers travel to Tri-City for three starting later tonight before finally returning home to St. George to host Oneonta on Monday.

-Today we’ve been keeping track of the Mets and Pirates on Kids Camp Day at Shea. What started out as a promising day for Oliver Perez and teammates now looks like it will disappoint those who attended expecting a sweep over hapless Pittsburgh. That’s because after dominating the first five innings and having a one-run lead on a David Wright sac fly which scored Jose Reyes back in the first, the southpaw imploded in the sixth allowing five Pirates to cross home plate.

After giving up back-to-back singles including an infield hit to opposing pitcher Paul Maholm, Perez threw away Cesar Izturis’ sacrifice bunt into right field allowing the tying run to come home and putting both runners in scoring position. It looked like he’d escape further damage when he got consecutive Pirates to pop up. However, a hard struck ball by ex-Met Xavier Nady ate up Wright at third allowing both runners to score putting the Pirates ahead by two. It was properly ruled a two-run single. Unfortunately for the ex-Pittsburgh ace, the inning wasn’t over. Former Yankee Josh Phelps deposited a Perez offering into the left field bleachers to suddenly make it 5-1.

Perez did fan his final batter of the day for strikeout No. nine but when you consider that he allowed only one baserunner (Phelps infield hit in 2nd) through the first five, this was a disappointing day against his ex-club. It’s what makes him so baffling because he can be so utterly dominant at times. But sometimes the wheels fall off which has to have a few Amazin’s fans scratching their heads.

The bright spot for the Mets on the day was the continued improvement of outfielder Lastings Milledge, who got a run back with a solo shot to left in the sixth for his second dinger of the series. He’s driven at least a run in four of the last five and five of seven.

The Pirates took full advantage of a Wright miscue to push across three in the seventh highlighted by a Phelps double for his third hit of the day. A Ruben Gotay sac fly and Reyes solo homer (seventh of season) sliced the deficit to 8-4.

This SNY poll about Mets’ home run celebrations going to far is silly. Just to prove it, 78 percent said no. Do the Mets sometimes excessively celebrate homers? Yes. But only a hot dog like Milledge will get the brunt of it because of how inexperienced he is which might help explain the beaning he took last night. Other Mets such as Reyes, Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado are more respected for what they’ve accomplished on the field. When a young kid struts around, it can show up opponents.

In the mean time, Matt Capps struck out Shawn Green swinging to retire the side in order to salvage the third game of the series for Pittsburgh. The 23 year-old former 2002 seventh round pick has quietly saved nine games for them while improving across the board in his third season. Not bad.

For the Mets, it was a lost opportunity to get a sweep against an inferior opponent. But as SNY analyst Keith Hernandez noted, “Sweeps are tough to come. The final game is always hard to get.”

If Willie Randolph’s first place club takes care of business against the Nationals in a four-game series this weekend, I’m sure most will be happy. If you’ve ever listened to WFAN in New York, you can’t satisfy everyone. Fans always want to second-guess every move Randolph makes and micro-manage. Do you think that’s because he’s a former Yankee? Maybe they’d rather Art Howe in the dugout.
The Phillies are playing some good ball and could cut the deficit to four with a win over Washington in the City of Brotherly Love. At last check, they were leading 5-2 in the home sixth. Red hot 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard hit his 29th homer to put them up one in the third and classic underachiever Pat Burrell drove home two more a couple of innings later.

Somehow, this team has hung around despite injuries to key pitchers Brett Myers, Tom Gordon and Freddy Garcia (out for season). Many people had Charlie Manuel fired after another slow start but you have to tip your cap to the beleaguered skipper who has his ballclub playing very well lately with Pittsburgh coming in next.

The question is can they be consistent enough to challenge the Mets? Who knows? I just feel like the Mets are better than both the Phils and Braves. Everytime either gets close, they slip up.

-In other baseball action, Ken Griffey, Jr. slugged career home run No. 588 against Milwaukee earlier. The Brewers were still ahead 5-4 in the eighth. Former Met Ty Wigginton hit his 16th as the D-Rays attempt to comeback in Baltimore. They’re now down by just one after trailing 6-2 after a five-run third by the O’s. The White Sox were leading the Tigers 2-1 with two runs in in the fourth on a Scott Podesednik RBI double and Josh Fields’ RBI groundout off Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
-Tonight, the Yankees aim for a four-game sweep of Kansas City. Kei Igawa (2-2 6.67 ERA) takes the mound against Jorge De La Rosa (7-10, 5.61 ERA). Coming off a 7-1 win in which Alex Rodriguez slugged career home run No.499, Joe Torre’s club will look to stay hot and win their seventh straight.

They know there’s little margin for error with 62 games remaining and still 6.5 behind first place Boston and trailing wild card leading Cleveland by 4.5. The good news is there’s still plenty of season left and they have closed the gap on both and still have games against each (6 vs Bos and 3 vs Cle). But any slip up now could prove costly.

After tonight, the Yanks head to Baltimore where they’ll complete a game from last month and play three more this weekend.

-We’ll end with this. With all the attention focused on Barry Bonds, it’s nice to see Craig Biggio having a flair for the dramatic in his final season with the Astros. The versatile 20-year veteran has delivered two very special moments this year for baseball fans in Houston. He recorded a milestone with his 3,000th career hit with a single to center in the home seventh back on June 28 against the Rockies.

Even more special was that he finished off the night with five hits including coming around to score on Carlos Lee’s walkoff grand slam in the 11th to celebrate in style. Biggio became the 27th member of the 3,000 hit club and according to Elias Sports Bureau, the first player to ever reach the mark in a five-hit game. Distinguished members George Brett (1992) and Tony Gwynn (1999) had four hits when they got to 3,000.
The 41 year-old Biggio recently announced that this will be his final season. So, how did he respond hours after the announcement? By hitting a go-ahead grand slam in an exciting 7-4 win over the Dodgers this past Tuesday night. The performance even impressed his defeated opponents who had nothing but praise afterwards:

Former teammate Luis Gonzalez: “It was typical Biggio. It was kind of meant to be for him today. He’s a great ambassador for the city of Houston. All the things he does on the field and off the field, he’s been first-class his entire career. … It was only fitting that he hit a grand slam tonight. I just wish it hadn’t been against us.”

Manager Grady Little added: “It was a special day for [Biggio]. I have a lot of respect for what he’s accomplished. He’s made the difference in a lot of games throughout his career and he made the difference tonight.”

Here was Biggio’s take on things:

“Emotionally, it was a tough day. To have this happen is amazing. I still think I’m going to die early with all that has happened this season. I didn’t even feel like I was touching the bases as I ran around them. It was just magical. It was a special, special night.”

In an era where so much negative attention is focused, Biggio is a throwback who personifies what sports should really be about. And to see a player who did whatever was good for the team whether it was converting from catcher to second or going to left field is what makes him so special. He’s done it all with the same team. Something you don’t see a lot of in many sports today.

Biggio has now played in an even 2,800 games and has 3,017 hits, 287 home runs and 413 stolen bases to go with 1,160 driven in. He’s also been a seven-time NL All Star and four-time Gold Glove winner (all at 2nd). He might not get the recognition of a Bonds or A-Rod but is certainly worthy of attention for the kind of career he’s had.

Kudos to the former Astros’ 1987 first round selection (22nd overall) out of Seton Hall for working hard to put together a respectable career. Biggio is the definition of class.

The Staten Island Yankees bounced back with a vengeance in the second game of a three-game set at Oneonta by posting a 9-5 victory Wednesday night.

They improved to 19-15 on the season, which allowed them to gain a game on the first place Cyclones, who were cooled off in a 5-3 loss at Batavia. Brooklyn (25-10) still leads the Baby Bombers by five and a half games.

Tied at one in the third, the Bombers went ahead on a one out runscoring single from designated hitter Damon Sublett which scored second baseman Justin Snyder. After a Braedyn Pruitt single put runners on the corners, David Williams’ RBI groundout to third scored Sublett to put Staten Island in front 3-1.

However, their lead would prove shortlived as starter Ryan Pope gave it right back by allowing three runs in the bottom of the frame. A two-run home run Kody Kaiser tied the game. With the bases loaded, Cory Middleton singled home Justin Henry to put the Tigers back ahead.

The Bombers responded right away with a key five-run fourth. After D.J. Hollinsworth ledoff the inning by being plunked, third baseman Brian Chavez doubled to left which put runners in scoring position. An infield hit by catcher Frank Lonigro tied the game back up.

After a Snyder sac fly put S.I. back ahead 5-4, Taylor Holiday tripled in Lonigro which knocked out Oneonta starter Mark Brackman (1-1), Sublett greeted reliever Luis Gil with an RBI single to left which made it 7-4. Sublett later came around to score on a failed pickoff attempt on an errant throw by Gil.

Pruitt came up with his third hit of the night when he touched them all to lead off the seventh for his first homer of the season which put Staten Island up five.

Jason Stephens relieved Kyle Hollander and went the final five allowing just a run on two hits while striking out three to pickup his first win.

Notes: Eight of nine regulars in the Staten Island lineup reached base with the exception of shortstop Luis Nunez who finished 0-for-5. The Baby Bombers look to take the rubber game of the series tonight before traveling to Tri-City for a three-game set this weekend.
Chamberlain Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Debut A Success: In other Yankee organizational news, pitching prospect Joba Chamberlain was sensational in his first start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 21 year-old who was selected by the Yankees in the supplemental first round 41st overall last year went five strong scoreless innings while fanning 10. He was promoted from Double-A Trenton along with 2006 first round selection Ian Kennedy (22nd overall). Both began the season with Single-A Tampa but were moved up to Double-A. Now, the duo will try to master Triple-A before a possible trip to the majors.

To make room for the two pitching prospects, Chase Wright and Tyler Clippard were optioned to Trenton.

It’s been a while since we put together some thoughts on sports issues. In about a three month span, a lot has changed. The unexpected should be expected. That much we know with what’s gone on lately. Is anything really a surprise these days?

Let’s find out what we think! In no particular order:

1.It’s very easy to have Michael Vick guilty and locked up. However, what isn’t known at this point is what his involvement was in the federal dogfighting indictment case. The allegations are as serious as it gets. And no matter what you believe, the Atlanta Falcons star quarterback had to have some responsibility for what took place on his property. The evidence that was recovered doesn’t bode well when he is arraigned Thursday. With the Falcons also looking into suspending him but holding off due to an NFL probe in the matter, you have to figure that at the very least, he won’t take a snap in 2007. The more important question is whether or not he’s guilty and will get serious jail time. Until proven otherwise, it’s too early to rush to judgment.

2.The sad FBI gambling investigation of former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is an awful hit to the NBA’s credibility. Donaghy was a league official for 13 years and considered to be in the upper echelon. Before this disturbing case came up, there were a couple of unrelated incidents off the court which could’ve been seen as red flags. NBA commissioner David Stern finally addressed the important matter yesterday morning during a lengthy 70-minute press conference in New York, referring to it as “the most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA.”

NBA officials aren’t permitted to bet on their own games let alone go to a casino. According to Stern, the only time they can gamble is during the summer at the race track.

The case first was brought up to the league by the FBI on June 20 with the two sides meeting the very next day. Donaghy resigned on July 9 and recently put his Florida home up for sale only a year after purchasing it. A plea could be made later this week.

Stern did ask the fans to give the league the benefit of the doubt but the lingering question persists if any diehard sportsfan will ever fully trust sports officials ever again. Who’s to say this couldn’t happen in another sport? You never really know.

As an older son of a high school sports official, what I do know is how hard my father works at trying to get the calls right. No matter if it’s on the hardwood or field, he gives it his best effort. Sometimes during games, officials will get calls wrong. It happens. As fans, we must remember that they’re only human and do mess up. See the 1985 World Series which cost the Cardinals.

The problem when something as devastating as this comes down is that it changes the perception. In many games we watch, referees are already under the gun for how they officiate. Now, every call will be more scrutinized.

A good official is someone who has integrity and has a passion for whatever sport they’re on. And most importantly, they can’t be bought!

You just have to wonder though what the reaction will be the next time one makes a pivotal call which decides a game.

3.The other big story will continue to be Barry Bonds’ pursuit of history as he chases Hank Aaron. Needing just two more home runs to tie Homerin’ Hank’s mark of 755 set back in 1976, there’s little doubt that the controversial San Francisco Giants slugger will get the three homers he needs to become the new Home Run King.

It’s been such an uncelebrated story because of all the question marks regarding the legitimacy when it finally becomes official. It’s hard to get as excited for this for that reason. Bonds wasn’t the most personable athlete before BALCO. He’s made reporters’ lives covering this home run chase a living nightmare. He’s unwilling to really give them much. In some ways, I can’t even blame the guy because it’s an impossible situation to be in.

This is one of the game’s greatest players we’ve ever seen and yet it feels like we’re being cheated. A great record such as Aaron’s (the definition of consistency and class) should be celebrated by all of baseball.

Instead, you have Bonds viewed as Public Enemy No.1. He was a great player before the allleged juicing began. A bonafide superstar who was a 40/40 threat and a perennial Gold Glove left fielder, Bonds could truly do it all. Hit. Run. Field. He was a fun player to watch. And that’s the sad aspect of this whole thing. This is what he’s become. A side show. There are few players who are bigger than the game. Barry Bonds is and not for all the reasons he should be.

One day when all this passes over, the torch should be passed to Alex Rodriguez who just a few days short of turning 32 is a couple of dingers shy of becoming the youngest major leaguer to ever reach 500 home runs. During the All-Star Game festivities in Pac Bell Bark a couple of weeks ago, Bonds already was on record as saying he’d be in attendance when A-Rod surpasses him for the record.

A good PR move on his part at the time due to the uncertainty surrounding whether baseball commish Bud Selig would be in attendance when the seven-time NL MVP breaks Aaron’s record. To Selig’s credit, he’s attended the last four games Bonds has taken part in (3 in Milwaukee) including tonight against Atlanta (tied at four heading to extras with Bonds 1-for-4).

It would’ve looked bad if Selig didn’t go because whatever took place in regards to performance enhancing drugs was under his watch. Ultimately, he’s made the right decision here. Baseball can’t really go all out to celebrate this record when it happens. But they need to be there when history is made regardless. It’s that kind of responsibility that falls on Selig these days.
4.I’m like many others when I sit here and ponder why it couldn’t be a healthy Ken Griffey, Jr. instead. It’s nice to see the kid with the big smile and sweet stroke going strong again with 24 long balls and 587 encounting on his way to 600.

5.Former retired Giant turned NBC broadcaster Tiki Barber makes himself look like even more of a hypocrite in a recent piece written on coach Tom Coughlin and the current state of Big Blue by the NY Daily News’ Gary Myers. We’ve never been a fan of Coughlin but as great a player as Tiki was, he was nothing but a team distraction last year.

When you have one of his teammates in Antonio Pierce referring to 2006 as “The Tiki Barber Show,” you know just how bad things were. For Tiki to act like he never even knew his teammate the last couple of years is sad and shows just how out to lunch he really is. That’s why even with questions surrounding the two-headed ground attack of Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns, the Giants just might be better off.

6.Could someone tell Michael Strahan to just report to camp this week instead of getting jealous everytime a younger defensive end with more left in the tank gets a big payday. Just come to work and prove you still have it?

7.Few athletes were ever as classy as Jets’ running back Curtis Martin. The man was the consumate pro with both the Patriots and Gang Green in the last decade and worthy of a place in Canton, Ohio.

8.Do the Nets really think Jamaal Magloire is the missing piece?

9.Is there a better hitter in baseball than Chase Utley? He was my preseason NL MVP and still is even if the Phillies once again disappoint their fans and don’t make October.

10.You can look at the remarkable season A-Rod’s having and justify whatever he gets when he opts out. But for as special a year as he’s had, the real reasons for the Bronx revival are the huge second halfs Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano are having. It’s also hard to leave out Andy Phillips at first when he’s not only played outstanding defense but even hit the ball well enough for Joe Torre to play him everyday. Remember when Josh Phelps had his spot? Exactly.

11.Who ever would’ve believed two months ago that Luis Vizcaino would become the Yankees’ most dependable reliever to get the ball to Mariano Rivera?

12.The Mets are finally playing better as big guns Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado are showing signs of coming out of it. If anyone’s checked out their 2007 situational stats, they’d be petrified. As special as Jose Reyes and David Wright are to the offense, the Amazin’s aren’t winning anything without the Carlos duo. They must produce when it counts.

13.Out of all the weaknesses on the Mets, the biggest need isn’t starter. It’s reliever. If they can land another late inning guy such as the Nats’ Chad Cordero, Omar Minaya needs to do it.

14.Most overlooked budding young superstar in a crowded Senior Circuit: Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez who gets overshadowed by Reyes, J.J. Hardy and Jimmy Rollins.

15.Will there be a day that Lindsay Lohan doesn’t break the law? Is she trying to compete with Britney Spears?

16.Guess Sergio Garcia will never win the big one. At least Andy Roddick doesn’t have to listen to that.

17.Grady Little going to washed up reliever Roberto Hernandez late in a tie game last Friday against the Mets was just Grady Little being Grady Little. Some things never change.

18.How come whenever there’s a big play in a Mets game, SNY’s Gary Gohen screams? If he was really as good as some claim, he wouldn’t need to go to such extremes.

19.His team might stink as usual but B.J. Upton is a special player. Superstar.

20.Who makes Yankee fans more nervous?

A.Kyle Farn$worth

B.Kei Igawa

C.Mike Mussina

21.Mike Lupica says the Yankees have no excuses but how much better would the Yankee rotation look with Phil Hughes than Igawa? Newsflash to Mr. Know It All: Hughes is not Mike Pelfrey.

In this continuing saga, we take a look at some other prospects who started their pro careers right here by the Ferry Terminal facing the city that never sleeps:

10.CF Seth Fortenberry- A Penn-League All Star last summer, the centerfielder has developed very well this season for the Riverdogs. A year after hitting just four home runs here on Staten Island, the 23 year-old Baylor product has increased his power production with a team-leading 16 to go with 68 RBI’s which also paces the club. The previous season, Fortenberry showed good speed swiping 13 bases and tripling five times. This year, he’s added 15 steals along with 22 more extra base hits including four triples to go with his new found stroke. Somehow, he was left off the All Star team but that hasn’t stopped him from having a very promising season.

11.LF James Cooper- A summer after starting on Staten Island before slowly working his way back from a leg injury, the 23 year-old from Loyola Marymount has split time between Tampa and Charleston. In 32 games, he was hitting .259 with three dingers, two triples and 10 RBI’s with Tampa before being sent back to Charleston probably to make room on the roster. In 29 games with the Riverdogs thus far, he’s hit .278 with eight runs knocked in while stealing three bases. It’s hard to determine what his future is at this juncture. We’ll know more by the Fall.

12.C Kyle Anson- A couple of years ago, he was playing a different position for the 2005 championship Baby Bombers. Now, the 24 year-old from Texas, El Paso has adjusted to life behind the plate. With Charleston, he got off to a hot start but has cooled lately dropping his average to .279 with three long balls and 29 RBI’s. The question is does he have more upside than ex-Bomber Francisco Cervelli who’s currently a level up at Tampa? That remains to be seen.
13.RP Jonathan Hovis- One summer after being an effective setup man with the Staten Island Yanks, the 23 year-old North Carolina product has taken well to closing out games for Charleston by saving 22 so far. Despite an 0-4 record, Hovis has posted a respectable 1.42 ERA in 40 appearances. With excellent control, he’s only permitted five walks which puts his WHIP under 1.00 because he’s allowed 32 hits in 44 and a third innings while K-ing 38. He’s not overpowering by any stretch but is extremely efficient and continues to progress nicely. It shouldn’t be long before he’s promoted to Tampa.
14.P Edgar Soto- A summer after getting 12 starts with Staten Island and producing mixed results (2-3 with a 4.31 ERA), the 22 year-old southpaw out of Venezuela has mostly been used out of the pen down in Charleston. In 23 appearances, he’s only started five times. So far, the results are so-so as he’s gone 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA. The biggest issue for Soto is his control as he’s walked 34 in 49-plus while fanning a batter per inning. The .236 average against is respectable but unless he can fix his control, it’s hard to see much of a future. There’s still time but with other pitching prospects ahead on the depth chart, it’s going to be a tough climb up the ladder.
15.1B Kevin Smith- A year after getting into 43 games and contributing .277 with two dingers and 21 RBI’s while playing a solid first on the championship Baby Bombers, the 23 year-old California native has adjusted well in a similar role on the Riverdogs. In 45 games thus far, he’s hit .288 and added 17 extra base hits including his first home run a few days ago while driving in 19. Smith has also shown some discipline by drawing almost as many walks (24) as strikeouts (27). A nice improvement from the five walks to 30 K’s he had in his first pro season. Is there a future? Hard to say. Unless he can do more damage with his bat to get in the lineup everyday, it doesn’t look promising.

16.OF Brian Aragon- The good news for the 23 year-old second-year outfielder out of North Carolina State is playing his ball pretty close to where he played college down in Charleston. The bad news is that he’s continued to struggle hitting-wise with a .235 average in 42 games. He has produced four homers and 22 RBI’s. Last year for Staten Island in a similar amount of time (41 GP), he hit .237 with two long balls and 16 RBI’s. Unless he has a big finish, this could be the final stop in his pro career. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the business. Just ask Kyle Larsen.
17.Inf Chris Kunda- An interesting turn recently took place for the former Oregon State 2006 College World Series hero. After struggling at the plate in Charleston where he hit just .184 with 17 RBI’s in 136 at bats, the 22 year-old Alaska native was moved up to Tampa where it looks like he could play a different position instead of either short or the hot corner. He was 1-for-3 with a steal in his first game at second base. It’s hard to say if he’ll stay at the advanced level. Maybe the Yankees view him as a utility guy. He can play three positions well and even can pitch if needed. One thing is certain. While he didn’t hit much (.225-2-15) for the Penn-League champs by the Ferry Terminal, Kunda was a superb defensive shortstop who made a few breathtaking plays. That kind of defense is always valuable late in games. We’ll be keeping a close eye to see if there are any future plans.

18.SS Eduardo Nunez- A couple of years after helping the Staten Island Yankees win a Penn-League championship, the recently turned 20 year-old shortstop out of Puerto Rico has struggled in Charleston hitting only .239 with 11 extra base hits and 26 RBI’s. A solid middle infielder, he does possess some speed as his 18 stolen bases attest, ranking third on the club. The growing question is what kind of future does he have if he can’t get to Tampa? The Yankee organization is probably being more patient due to his age. Maybe a strong finish can keep him afloat.

This concludes Part II. Part III should be coming soon and will take a look at some of the Yankees’ brightest prospects who could be coming to the Bronx very soon. Stay tuned.